Fireless brooder.



A. B. BOND. FIRELESS BROODER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4, 1914- Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- A. B. BOND.

FIRELEASS BROODER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4. I914.

w R I h -3 :153:15: f NH Sum/W ALICE B. BOND, OF VISALIA, CALIFORNIA.

IEIRELESS BROODEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

Application filed February 4, 1914. Serial No. 816,454.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, Amen B. BOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Visalia,

in the county of Tulare and State of Cali fornia, have invented new and useful Improvements inFireless Brooders, of which the brooder whereby the chicks are prevented from crowding one another.

Another object is to effect improvements in the construction of the brooding chamber whereby the animal heat arising from the chicks in the brooder is utilized for keeping the chicks warm.

Another object is to efi'ect'improvements in the construction of the hovering blankets and in the means for holding them in place.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a brooder constructed in accordance with my invention showing the peg top of the brooder in place. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a portion of the brooder. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, partly in horizontal section. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 5'is a detail inverted perspective view of the peg top; Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the hovering blanketsl The bottom 1 of the brooder maybe made of wood or other suitable material and is here shown as provided on its under side with transverse cleats 2 which serve to space it somewhat above the ground and prevent the bottom from becoming wet. Near one end of the bottom, on its upper side are stops 3 and at opposite sides of the bottom are oppositely extending stops 45.

The body 6 of the brooder forms a brooding chamber 8 and an exercising chamber 7 which are separated from each other by a vertical partition wall 9. The side walls 10 of the body of the brooder are narrowed vertically toward the outer end of the exercising chamber so that they present inclined upper edges and the side walls are provided on their inner sides, in the exercising chamber, with inclined supporting strips 11 on which may be placed a glazed sash 12 or a screen frame 13 at will, the glazed sash and the screen frame being detachably connected to the said walls so that either may be used according to the weather, the glazed sash keeping the exercising chamber warm and utilizing the sunlight for that purpose and the screen frame, when used serving to thoroughly ventilate the exercising chamher. When the chicks are very young the glazed sash will ordinarily be used. When they get somewhat older the screen frame will be used within the discretion of the operator. The wall 9 is provided in its lower side at its center with a door opening 14 and with a hinged door 15 to open'or close said opening. The outer end wall 16 of the exercising chamber has a similar opening 17 and hinged door 18 therefor.

The body of the brooder is detachably fitted on the bottom 1, one end and the sides of the brooder body beingengaged by the stops with which the bottom is provided and hereinioefore described. Hence the body of the brooder is prevented from being casually moved or slipped off of the bottom.

The front wall 19 of the brood chamber has an opening 20 at its lower side which extends entirely across the same. A bottom tray or drawer 21 is provided which is preferably made of sheet metal, such for instance as tin, or sheet iron,and is detachably fitted in the bottom of the brood chamber and maybe withdrawn therefrom through.

i a series of spaced ventilating openings 24 to admit air, pivotally mounted shutters being provided to open and close said openings at will, and draft baffles 26 being provided which are arranged on the inner sides of said side wall, at the inner ends of said openings and are open at their upper sides,

tom of the brood chamber and these strips are provided on their upper sides with suitably spaced notches 28. Hover blankets 29 are provided each of which is formed at its upper side with a casing 30 through which extendsa supporting rod 31. The ends of the said rods project beyond the ends of the blankets and rest in the notches of the supporting strips 27. Hence the hover blankets are arranged in vertical position across the lower portion of the brood chamber and are readily detachable therefrom. Each hover blanket is provided with spaced vertical slits which divide the same into short sections or A top or board 33 is detachably fitted in the. brood chamber and is arranged to rest on the supports 27.v In the corners of this I top 33 are openings 34 and the saidtop is provided on .its upper side with handle 'istrips 35 to enable the same to be readily placed in the brood chamber or removed therefrom. This top is provided with series of depending separating pegs 36 which are spaced equidistant apart both longitudinally i and transversely of the top and are arranged so as to extend down between the hover blankets when the said top is in place. These spaced pegs bound or form the corners of spaces each of which is of proper size to receive only one of the young chicks.

Hence the saidpegs prevent more than one chick from getting in any one of the said spaces and therefore prevent the chicks from crowding one another. The peg top 35 when arranged in the brood chamber is spaced both from the bottom and top of the brood chamber.

A cover 37 is provided for the brood chamber, which is detachably fitted thereon:

and is provided with side flanges 38 to hold the cover in place thereon. When the peg top and the cover are in place a heating chamber 39 is formed in the brood chamber, above the peg top. The animal heat from the chicks rises into this chamber through the openings in the peg top and is utilized for keeping the brood chamber at the required temperature without the employment of artificially produced heat.

When the brooder is used for older chicks which do not require the use of hover blankets said blankets will with their supporting rods and the peg top 33 be removed from the brood chamber and a top i0 will be employed in lieu of the peg top, this top 40 also, in connection with the cover forming a heat retaining chamber in the upper portion of the brood chamber and being provided with openings 41 for the passage of the animal heat from the chicks and being also provided with handles 42 by means of which the said top may be placed in the brood chamber or removed therefrom. The top 40 is here shown in Fig. 4 as having flanges a0 on its upper side, atopposite ends, and said flanges being shown beveled on their inner sides.

By the provision of the ventilating open.

ings in the sides of the brood chamber, the shutters therefor, and the baflies at the inner sides of said openings the air admitted to the brood chamber may be regulated'as may be desired and hence the said brood chamber may be kept thoroughly ventilated withoutdanger to the chicks. The cover also may be'removed from the brood chamber while the top 33 or the top 40 is in place if it bedesired to allow animal heat from the chicks to escape.

Having thus claim 1. In a brooder, a body forming abrood chamber, a top for said broodchamber and spaced pegs extending downwardly from said top into said brood chamber and so related as to bound or form the corners of spaces, for the reception of one of the chicks.

2. In a brooder, a body forming a brood chamber, a top for said brood chamber, and spaced pegs extending downwardly from said top into said brood chamber, said pegs terminating short of the bottom of the brood chamber and being so related as to bound or form the corners of spaces, for the recep tion, each, of one of the chicks.

3. In a brooder, a body forming a brood chamber, said brood chamber having a cover and being also, provided at a point spaced from thebottom and the cover with supporting elements on its sides, said supporting elements having spaced slots in their upper sides, supporting rods having their ends arranged in the spaced slots of said supporting elements, hover blankets attached to and described my invention, I

depending from said spaced rods, atop detachably fitted in the brood chamber and bearing on said supporting elements and provided with openings establishing com-v munication between the lower portion of the brood chamber and the air space in the upper portion thereof, and spaced pegs extending downwardly from said top into the brood chamber and removable therefrom with said top. I

4. In a brooder, a body forming the brood chamber, supporting elements on the sides of the brood chamber, a top for said brood In testimony whereof I afiix my signature chamber, detachably fitted on said supportin presence of two witnesses.

ing elements and spaced pegs carried by and ALICE B. BOND. extending downwardly from said top into Witnesses:

the brood chamber and removable from the EARL A. BAGBY,

body with said top. ARTHUR T. BOND.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

